In the modern world of membranes and the usual cushioned-for-her-pleasure type approach, the Norwegian M77 combat boots are a refreshing relic from the old days. Stayed virtually unchanged from the year they were adopted, 1977, they still are the standard-issue footwear in the Norwegian army. This shell-style construction also makes them pretty modular, as you have total control over sock choices.

Nothing but leather, polyurethane, and steel here. Being a very traditional design, the M77 may lack a waterproof membrane (which would fail at some point anyway) but makes it up in long term durability. Just keep the boots well greased and change socks if they get wet and you're pretty much good to go. Or if you need proper waterproofing, get a pair of SealSkinz waterproof socks.

These boots have front lugs and a rear groove for use with ski and snowshoe bindings. Compatible bindings include army models as made by Asnes and Rottefella, to name a couple.

The price comes not from sexy brand names or other nonsense, but of the quality of the materials and workmanship: the leather is properly thick with no PU coatings whatsoever and the sole is one block of high-quality rubber molded directly to the upper. All the lace hooks & loops are likewise made of quality metal. As the PU sole has no air pockets inside it, it's possible to glue on more stuff if it eventually gets thin, however, it is pretty thick to start with.

Size info

First the standard French/EU size, then the UK or US size.

The sizes run large, and the last is wide. These are designed to be used with double or even triple woolen socks! Our customers are rarely satisfied with the manufacturer's recommended size and rather wear a full size smaller.

Foot and insole lengths

The insoles are 23 mm / 0.9" longer than the recommended foot length, e.g., size 43 is recommended for 270 mm feet, and the insole is 293 mm long. Most people are happy with a lot less toe clearance. The common recommendation is a minimum of 13 mm / 0.5". If you measured your foot, you could pick boots up to 10 mm / 0.4" smaller than recommended.

The size 51–51 has a 350-mm insole.

The following chart has the EU sizes and mfg-recommended foot lengths.

Foot length chart

Made in EU (Estonia)

Yes, the Norwegian army gets its footwear made there. Hey, why not, the manufacturer knows its stuff and Estonia is also a NATO country. These have the Norwegian shield logo on the sole, denoting they fill the army quality standards.